RICHMOND, Va. -- Republican Sen. George Allen is slightly ahead of Democratic challenger Jim Webb in a close Virginia race that could determine whether the GOP retains control of the U.S. Senate, according to a poll published Monday night.

Allen's tenuous advantage is equal to the poll's margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

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Allen held a 16-point lead over Webb in July, but saw it vanish after weeks of damaging developments beginning Aug. 11 when he called a young man of Indian descent "macaca," an obscure racial slur.

The results, however, are troubling for Allen, who has yet to crest 50 percent with the Nov. 7 election just two weeks away.

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"We feel very good about these numbers and the numbers in other recent polls, including our own, that show Jim moving up while Allen is moving down," Jarding said. "These numbers show Allen has hit his ceiling."

Webb's primary support from the beginning has come from northern Virginia, where he lives. This poll has him up 50 percent to 40 percent in that region, which has 28 percent of the state's voters.

Allen's strength is most of the rest of the state, excluding Hampton Roads for the first time in the four Mason-Dixon polls in this race. Hampton Roads is home to about 21 percent of the electorate.

Allen is strongest in the metro Richmond area, where he leads 53 percent to 36 percent, and the Shenandoah Valley, where his lead is 53 percent to 38 percent.

The Richmond vote could be altered by an endorsement by former Gov. Doug Wilder, mayor of the city. Wilder entertained both candidates Saturday at a football game in Richmond, but has yet to announce his support of either.

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The City of Richmond went for Kerry in 2004 and Kaine last year. I'm thinking it's going to Webb.

be turned off to learn that Allen's kid is named after Gen. Nathan Forrest, KKK Grand Wizard. Don't think that's been sufficiently publicized. Also, there's a matter of sealed divorce records. And, going way back, there's the time he wrote "Die Whitey. Fuck whitey. Eat Shit" on the walls of our high school to make it appear like the work of black kids from a rival school. He admits the graffiti, denies it was racist. So, he's a liar, too.

I think in the last couple of weeks Webb ought to be mercilessly pounding Macaca on the integrity issue. He (Allen) simply has none.

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